Method of making shoes

ABSTRACT

The method of making shoes, especially infants&#39;&#39; shoes, which comprises molding the back part assembly of a shoe upper comprised of outer and inner plies with a counter material therebetween and wherein the lower edges of the plies and the counter material are substantially contiguous, to form at the lower edge inwardly and downwardly extending flanges, assembling the premolded upper with an insole having a rib at one broad side so that the inwardly extending flange engages the underside of the insole outwardly of the rib, the downwardly extending flange engages the outer side of the downwardly extending rib and the edge face of the insole engages the inner side of the back part, holding the inner edge of a welt strip engaged with the outer side of the downwardly extending flange and inserting fastening means through the inner edge of the welt strip, downwardly extending flange and rib.

United States Patent Forma [4 1 Mar. 28, 1972 54] METHOD OF MAKING SHOES 1,919,862 7/1933 Rohn et al ..36/17 R [72] Inventor: Anthony P. Forma Claremom, NIH. 2,269,542 1/ 1942 Merritt ..36/ 17 R [73] Assignee: Lowell Molding Corporation, Lawrence, Prim ry xam n r-Alfred R- Guest Mass. Attorney-Roberts, Cushman & Grover [22] Filed: Apr. 1, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT App]. No.: 24,621

The method of making shoes, especially infants shoes, which comprises molding the back part assembly of a shoe upper comprised of outer and inner plies with a counter material therebetween and wherein the lower edges of the plies and the counter material are substantially contiguous, to form at the lower edge inwardly and downwardly extending flanges, assembling the premolded upper with an insole having a rib at one broad side so that the inwardly extending flange engages the underside of the insole outwardly of the rib, the downwardly extending flange engages the outer side of the downwardly extending rib and the edge face of the insole engages the inner side of the back part, holding the inner edge of a welt strip engaged with the outer side of the downwardly extending flange and inserting fastening means through the inner edge of the welt strip, downwardly extending flange and rib.

1 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures METHOD OF MAKING SHOES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is customary in the manufacture of footwear to provide an insole with a rib at one broad side, fasten the insole to the bottom of a last, assemble the upper on the last, and then wipe the lasting margin of the upper inwardly against the insole rib, providing a sufficient amount of marginal material so that the inwardly lasted margin lies against the outer side of the rib. A welt strip may then be secured at its inner edge to the edge of the upper and rib of the insole. Such an operation does not embody premolding of the upper material comprising, in effect, a molding in situ which will depend to a considerable extent upon the skill of the shoe maker. Premolding has certain advantages in that it enables unskilled operators to make shoes as satisfactory as a skilled operator and with a considerable saving in time and, although premolding of a back part of an upper for attachment to an in'solein shoe making has been employed in conjunction with the manufacture of flat lasted shoes as shown in US. Pat. Nos. 2,915,765, 3,017,645 and 3,090,980, it has not been used in the manufacture of welt shoes.

The purpose of this invention is to adopt the aforesaid method of premolding of the back part of a shoe upper to welt shoe construction as distinguished from flat lasted shoes and more especially to infants shoes.

SUMMARY As herein illustrated, the method of shoe making comprises subjecting the back part of an upper to a molding operation to form at the lower edge thereof inwardly and downwardly extending flanges, assembling the premolded back part with an insole having at one broad side a downwardly extending rib, with the inwardly extending flange of the back part engaged with the insole outwardly of the rib, with the-downwardly extending flange engaged with the outer side of the downwardly extending rib, and with the inner edge of the insole engaged with the inner side of the back part above the inwardly extending flange, assembling the inner edge of a welt in engagement with the outer side of the downwardly extending flange of the back part and joining the parts by inserting fastening means through the inner edge of the welt, the downwardly extending flange of the back part and the downwardly extending rib of the insole.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a back part assembly;

FIG. la is a perspective view of the premolded back part assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an insole with a rib at one broad side;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1a, showing the composition of the back part assembly;

FIG. 4 is a section of a shoe assembly comprising a premolded back part as shown in FIG. 1a, assembled with a ribbed insole such as shown in FIG. 2, and provided with a welt strip attached at its inner edge to the edge of the back part and ribbed insole;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of a mold assembly diagrammatically illustrating the parts thereof with the back part of the upper assembly molded except for the lower edge;

FIG. 6 is a corresponding view showing the lower edge molded; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of molding apparatus by means of which the back part molding is effected.

As herein illustrated (FIG. 1), prior to molding the back part assembly comprises inner and outer plies l0 and 12 between which there is disposed counter material 14. The upper contiguous edges of the inner and outer plies are joined by stitching s while the lower contiguous edges of the plies and of the counter are left open except for a sufficient amount of adhesive to lightly hold the counter in place preparatory to the molding operation. The back part assembly as thus comprised is placed example, a back part molding machine as shown, for example in any one of the previously mentioned patents, about a male mold part 16 illustrated herein in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, with its lower edge extending upwardly beyond the upper bottom surface 18 of the male mold part. A female mold part comprising pivotally supported side members 20 is new advanced to wrap the flat back part assembly about the male part to conform it to the configuration of the male part. Heat and pressure may be applied to the mold parts to set the upper material to the configuration of the male mold part. During this molding of the back part the counter which embodies a heat-activatable adhesive or is comprised of a material which is heat-activatable is also conformed to the contour of the male mold part and when it sets it retains the inner and outer plies in exact conformance with the contour of the male mold part.

In accordance with this invention a plate 22 is secured to the upper surface of the male mold part, the edge face of which is perpendicular to the surface 18 and which is spaced inwardly therefrom and after the side molding operation has been effected wipers 24-24 are moved inwardly from opposite sides to wipe the lasting margin, comprising the contiguous lower edges of the inner and outer plies and the counter, inwardly against the marginal edge of the surface 18 into the corner 19 formed at the intersection of the marginal edge 18 with the edge face 21 of the plate 22 so as to provide at the lower edge of the molded back part an inwardly extending flange 25, at the inner edge of which there is a downwardly extending flange 26. The counter material which as heretofore stated embodies the heat-activatable material or is comprised of a heat-activatable material is molded into the corner 19 with the plies and when it sets assists in retaining the molded shape. The back part premolded as shown in FIG. la and the component parts making it up are shown diagrammatically in section in FIG. 3.

The premolded back part is adapted to be attached to an insole 34 provided on one broadside with a rib 32 and outwardly thereof a flange 30. The inwardly and downwardly extending flanges 25 and 26 thus molded are designed to correspond substantially in width to the flangelike portion 30 outwardly of the rib 32 and the height of the rib as shown in FIG. 4.

The method comprises in addition to molding of assembling the premolded back part with the inwardly extending flange 25 engaged with the flange 30, that is, the underside of the insole outwardly of the rib 32, with the downwardly extending flange 26 engaged with the outer side of the downwardly extending rib 32 and with the edge face 34a of the insole engaged with the inner surface of the upper above the inwardly extending flange 25. A welt strip 36 is now held with its inner edge 38 against the outer side of the downwardly extending flange 26 and fastening means 40 is inserted through the inner edge 38 of the welt strip, the downwardly extending flange 26 of the back part and the downwardly extending rib of the insole.

The assembly of the aforesaid parts and joining can thus be readily accomplished without need for a last or for performing the usual heel end lasting operation and yet will provide a structure which has all of the advantages of a conventionally lasted shoe.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of shoe making without a last comprising premolding the back part of an upper provided with a stiffener which is shape-retaining so as to form by said premolding an inwardly extending flange at the bottom opening and at the inner edge thereof a downwardly extending flange, providing an insole with a rib disposed inwardly of its peripheral edge substantially perpendicular to one broad side such that the rib corresponds substantially in height to the depth of the downwardly extending flange and the portion of the insole insole so assembled without the aid of a supporting last attaching the sewing edge of a welting strip to the composite downwardly extending flange comprising the downwardly extending flange of the upper and the downwardly extending rib of the insole by stitching. 

1. The method of shoe making without a last comprising premolding the back part of an upper provided with a stiffener which is shape-retaining so as to form by said premolding an inwardly extending flange at the bottom opening and at the inner edge thereof a downwardly extending flange, providing an insole with a rib disposed inwardly of its peripheral edge substantially perpendicular to one broad side such that the rib corresponds substantially in height to the depth of the downwardly extending flange and the portion of the insole outwardly of the rib corresponds substantially in width to the width of the inwardly extending flange, assembling, without the aid of a last, the premolded upper and the insole by inserting the insole into the premolded upper to dispose the rib through the bottom opening from the inside and to dispose the portion of the insole outwardly of the rib against the inwardly extending flange of the upper and while holding the upper and insole so assembled without the aid of a supporting last attaching the sewing edge of a welting strip to the composite downwardly extending flange comprising the downwardly extending flange of the upper and the downwardly extending rib of the insole by stitching. 